“The next version of Microsoft Corp’s Windows Media Player looks set to be the company’s answer to Apple Inc’s iTunes and RealNetworks Inc’s music services, featuring a built-in music and movie store for the first time,” Computer Business Review Online reports. “Microsoft released a “technical beta” of WMP 10 this week, and said it features a streamlined interface and a Digital Media Mall comprised of storefronts provided by partners Napster LLC, MusicNow LLC and CinemaNow Inc. The company is also saying that WMP simplifies the process of transferring tracks from PCs to portable devices and synchronizing playlists. WMP 10 will automatically detect compatible devices and synchronize via a new Multimedia Transfer Protocol.”
Computer Business Review Online reports, “The launch looks like Microsoft’s effort to mimic the recent runaway successes of Apple, which has seen its iPod playback devices become something of a cultural event, while its iTune’s store sold 70 million songs in its first year of operation.”
MacDailyNews Take: Over a year late, and with the usual too many cooks in the kitchen (as is Wintel’s wont), will another cobbled-together mismash overtake Apple’s elegant, simple solution that just works so well?
it was a matter of time that this would happen
MacDailyNews Take: Over a year late, and with the usual too many cooks in the kitchen (as is Wintel’s wont), will another cobbled-together mismash overtake Apple’s elegant, simple solution that just works so well?
Won’t matter, M$FT will just muscle a win through sheer volume as always.
off subject but this is good to know:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3774567.stm
Good move from M$, now those annoyed by “widowz” security holes will just have to switch… sweeeet
Peace
Apple should have iPods at every price point. $50 $100 $150 & $200. Surely in time for the holidays. That’s my 2cents
iPods For Everyone!
what worries me is the movie store. i don’t something like that being real useful in the immediate future, but if microsoft starts it now and then just sticks around (which they can afford to do), then they’ll have a leg up on the next big thing for commercial digital media…
movie store.. yea.. as broadband becomes better/more mainstream.. truly.. DL time is a pain for movies.. and DVD’s have extra features which are nice and won’t come with these ‘rentals’ presumably…
anyway.. seen the WMP 10.. and think, ugh.. thank GOD apple made iTUnes for windows.. you see.. this bundling of WMP is actually not allowed anymore.. or is that just in Europe..
anyway… itunes is free and automatically on all HP/Founder PC’s.. nice huh?
what bothers me is that if apple hadn’t done anything like the itunes music store, microsoft wouldn’t have even given a crap. surely everyone knows this already, but microsoft is completely devoid of thinking independently and innovating on its own.
if apple started selling chipmunks MS would jump on the bandwagon.
the problem is that WMP will be on ALL PCs, whereas Apple iTunes will be on two companies’ PCs. It’s good that MS is so late though since Apple has sold so many iPods to PC users.
of course, Apple could sue MS (again) for bundling their music store software on all PCs. they would probably win. i think everyone is sick of microsoft
If apple started selling chipmunks there would be a 2 month waiting list.
“If apple started selling chipmunks there would be a 2 month waiting list.”
Now see, that’s some funny shit right there!
I downloaded the WMP Tech Beta and, honestly, I’m not impressed. It’s just a glorified, souped up Media Player and nothing else really. It’s still only a beta but alot of peoples impressions are defined on WMP so M$ is going to have a hard time trying to convince people it’s worth it.
WMP 10 will not help MSFT’s case in Europe at all and will probably force them to bundle iTunes with WIndows at least in Europe. In the US, it would be foolish for a PC distributor not to bundle iTunes, especially with the popularity of the iPod.
As far as Movies goes, don’t forget that Apple has the number 1 Movie trailer site on the Internet period. They’ve already bundled movie trailers and Music Video’s with iTunes as well. How big of a step do you thing it would be for them to put a “Buy Now” button on there? Maybe at least for DVDs and later for downloads. A partnership with Amazon would be the smart thing to do.
Only WiMPs play WilMAs.
Copy-cats. Is that what you call “innovation,” Billy? How do you sleep at night?
What a joke. They can’t even rip off itunes properly. Have you seen the design? Ugh! It’s foul all right.
Microsoft is a eunuch in a harem.
They know how it’s done.
They see it done every day.
They just can’t do it themselves.
DV
apple probably could sue them if they bundle thier new music service with every operating system they sell, and probably win….but then we would loose 2 things, microsoft office and virtual pc…that we cannot afford to loose.
best leave it up to napster and rhapsody to sue them lol
Fear not! World�s end isn�t coming after all!
Oh it is wonderful.
MDN is pack!
No more technical stuff only iPod/iTunes vs. Microsoft
It was sceary to read about Os X and how brilliant its Unix ground is.
Imagine if you had to read about that everyday!
If that continues to long we would be transformed to some kind of GayGeek�s under one week?
What’s with the seizure inducing banner? I’m still seeing red/black. Wow.
Now for M$ to fully copy iTunes, they should set their “thing” to not support WMA files. This way they’ll have Apple’s approval and their “thing” will then be opened to Apple’s iPods.
Cool. One complaint and the banner changes to a cat.
Well, I for one am anxiously awaiting the WWDC. That is when we will really find out how far behind M$ currently is.
Nice Link Boeing 777
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3774567.stm
Interesting strategy on M$ part to fight piracy. Wonder if others will take this up?
only works in Windows XP
What is it about iTunes that is so great? I’ve often tried to come up with a concrete list of things, iPod aside, about iTunes that other players/jukeboxes don’t have or don’t do as well. It is very difficult. If you just say “organization of your mp3s” that doesn’t really seem to capture iTunes’ brilliance. Could someone help me here?
/Joe wins today’s contest for funniest post
For those worried about the music store, just remember that Apple has its Pixlet codec, which can compress video at about 25:1 and retain high quality playback. It was created by/for Pixar originally. I haven’t seen it in use, but that’s what Apple claims, and Pixar using it means it can’t be too bad!
So if it comes down to downloading times, unless MS has something innovative up its sleeve (NOT), then Apple has a leg up.
When Microsoft finally released their chipmunks, a year later, they would weigh 200 lbs., look like a pig and smell worse.